The Cape Horn War
The Cape Horn War (Spanish:"La guerra del Cabo de Hornos"), also know as the War of Cape Horn, War of The South Atlantic, The Cape Horn Conflict and The Tierra Del Fuego Crisis was a fifteen week war between Argentina and The British -Tierra Del Fuego alliance . It Began on the 2nd of April 1982, when Argentina conducted amphibious landings in Tierra Del Fuego under the justification that the Argentina was the rightful owner of the land. The Dominion of Tierra Del Fuego responded by immediately mobilizing its small and outdated defense force. By the 3rd of April the British Government had expressed official support for The Dominion of Tierra Del Fuego, and announced its plan to ready a taskforce to reinforce Tierra Del Fuego and restore order in the region. By the end of April The British -Tierra Del Fuego alliance had official support from Canada, Australia and New Zealand, who all supported alliance efforts in the war with naval and intelligence services. Initial Stages of The War Following the Argentine landing in Tierra Del Fuego, the government of Tierra Del Fuego dispatched a force of about 50 officers of the Northern Frontier Constabulary, upon reaching the landing sites the officers and Argentine forces exchanged fire, one officer was wounded, and it not clear if the Argentine forces suffered any causalities. The Hamlet of Sheffield was the only point of importance sized by the Argentine forces on the day of the landings. In immediate response to news of the landing the Government of Tierra Del Fuego mobilized the Defense Forces of Tierra Del Fuego (TDF-DF), and named Major Alejandro O'Brian as the supreme commander of Tierra Del Fuegoian forces. Numbering only 3500 strong, minimally trained and armed with outdated weapons it was thought by many that the Defense Forces of Tierra Del Fuego would not last long against the 12'000 strong Argentine force. The Week following the landing by Argentina saw Argentine forces seize many small towns and hamlets around the north of Tierra Del Fuego, however large scale pushes into South Tierra Del Fuego were cancelled over fears that the Argentine logistics wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace of the advance. Fears of an intervention by Chile or the United States also kept the Argentine forces close to their landing zones. Battle of Fools Valley The first major battle of the war took place on the 5th of April with the 1st Rifle Battalion of the TDF-DF holding an Argentine advance across fools valley, the 1st Rifle Battalion counter attacked Argentine positions but had to retreat following heavy mortar fire. Battle of The Erickson Windmill The Battle of The Erickson Windmill saw elements of the 2nd Reserve Battalion (TDF-DF) unsuccessfully defend The Erickson Windmill and the hill on which it sat. Pvt Ruiz's use of a dummy grenade to clear out an Argentine mortar position bombarding the windmill is of note. Operation Trinidad Operation Trinidad was the landing of Argentine Aero-Mobile forces at the San Sebastian Isthmus, this action threatened to cut off all of TDF-DF forces operating north of the isthmus, and saw the first major escalation of the war with the use of aerial bombardment by both sides. Major Alejandro O'Brian's successful retreat of the TDF-DF out of North Tierra Del Fuego solidified his status as commander and made him a national hero of sorts. Argentine high command saw the failure to encircle TDF-DF forces in North Tierra Del Fuego as a massive operational setback, and pressure from the ruling Junta for the military to speed up the occupation of Tierra Del Fuego increased. =